For Better or For Worse
by Pyromanic Kittie
Summary: Kaori's Life After She Leaves Her Village
1. To Hide the Truth

**A/N: This is my Fated to the End sequel! I hope you enjoy it!**

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Leaving wasn't the hardest part of everything that happened in the village… Lying to my husband about the pregnancy was…

I still hadn't told him I was pregnant… I didn't want him to worry about what we were going to do when it was time for birthing…

Besides, I didn't even know how long I had until it was time for me to give birth… I knew the average length for a dog was 63 days… but that was a pet dog… and the human pregnancy was 9 months… but I wasn't human. I guessed it would be somewhere in the middle but I decided it would be best if I just went with the changed that would happen to my body.

The beginning was the easiest of it all; I didn't have a bump to hide and he had no idea when the… female cycle even happened, so I had plenty of time to figure out how to fake that.

Or so I thought…

"Kaori-sama…" Rin tugged on my sleeve.

"Yes Rin-chan…?" I answered as I looked down at her.

She looked over at Sesshoumaru's back then back at me. After a few times of doing this I realized she wanted to be further from his hearing than we were so I slowed my pace until I was behind Ah-Un.

"Is something the matter Rin-chan…?" I asked again as I started to try and assess what she could be thinking.

She poked my stomach and when it didn't press in under her finger like it should have I knew instantly that she had figured it out. "Your tummy is getting bigger Kaori-sama. Why is that?"

Mentally I scolded myself for letting her bathe with me all those times; she was bound to find out sometime. "My stomach isn't getting any bigger little one."

She nodded vigorously. "It is! And it's not because you're getting fat."

I cringed and blushed; only a kid would be so blunt. "No… you're right. I'm not getting fat."

"But you eat more than before and your stomach isn't jiggle-y like other people who eat a lot."

I blushed again. "I… uh…" I bit my lip and looked over at Sesshoumaru, he didn't seem like he was paying attention to us but I stopped walking anyway. I turned back to Rin and knelt down so I could look her in the eyes. "Can you keep a secret…?" I asked nervously

Rin beamed and nodded. "Uh-huh!"

"Well…" I started as I tired to find the easiest way to tell her what was happening. "You're going to be a big sister soon but I have not told Sesshoumaru-sama yet… I don't want him to worry about what will happen when it's time for your little sibling to come join us…" I didn't know how long I had until she did finally tell Sesshoumaru or Jaken on accident but I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep this from her forever.

Her eyes widened until they were as round as plates. "Really?! I'm going to be a big sister?"

I smiled at her. "Yes you are."

She grinned happily and turned to the group. My eyes widened in fear. "J-!!" I slapped my hand over her mouth.

"Shh…" I hissed nervously. "It's a secret, remember?"

She blinked then nodded and I slowly let go of her mouth. Relief whooshed out of me as I noticed she wasn't going to rush off and tell either of the men in our group. "Alright…" I sighed and straightened. "Let's go catch up with Sesshoumaru-sama."

"What was that about…?" Sesshoumaru asked as I made my way back up to him.

"Nothing." I smiled at him. "Rin was just asking me about a plant she found."

He frowned slightly but didn't press the matter.

I slid my hand into his and leaned my head against his shoulder; I hadn't realized how tired I was. A wave of exhaustion hit me with full force as I struggled to open my eyes again.

"Are you tired…?" Sesshoumaru asked, concerned.

"I'm alright…" I murmured as I finally forced my eyes open.

His free hand came up and pressed against my forehead then he lifted my chin up and turned my head from side to side, trying to find out what was wrong. "Are you sick…?"

I realized, a moment late, he was trying to figure out how to tell if I was sick or not. I smiled at him and pressed his hand against my cheek. "No… I'm not sick…" I kissed his palm lightly.

"Do you wish to stop…?"

I looked up at the sky and noticed there was still half a day left. "No…" I answered as I looked back at him. "We still a lot of day light left."

"You're fine…?"

I laughed lightly and kissed his hand again, it was the easiest part to reach. "I'm fine. Don't worry so much."

And I was fine… At least for the time being…


	2. The Time to Talk

**A/N: I know the first chapter was a little short, and this one isn't much better. Hopefully they'll get longer after this!**

**Enjoy!!**

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As the 60th day approached I realized that I wasn't going to be due in the next days but I also wasn't going for the normal nine months for humans. My stomach looked swollen, but I was still able to hide it somewhat by tying my obi around my waist differently. What I couldn't hide was that I was becoming more and more tired and hungrier than normal. Sesshoumaru was also starting to notice the difference…

I tried hard to keep him from noticing the change in my scent… I bathed every night and used oils and herbs I had combined to cover up as much of my scent as possible… But he was starting to notice anyway…

I was going to have to tell him… and soon… When we stopped for the evening I had finally made up my mind that this was going to be the time I told him.

Sesshoumaru watched me move around the camp as he had every night for the past several weeks. I smiled at him when I caught his eyes every once in a while; I would wait until Rin was asleep. I sat down next to him as I always did and laid my head against his fur, closing my eyes. I felt Sesshoumaru stiffen slightly under me and I knew he had finally been able to catch the difference in my scent.

"Kaori…" He started.

I pressed my finger to his lips gently. "Shh…" I murmured. "Wait until Rin is asleep…"

"She is a sleep…"

I opened my eyes and blinked, trying to clear the blurriness from my vision. "Oh…" I slowly stood up as I tried to break free of the fog of sleep that threatened to break through my brittle determination.

"Lay back down Kaori… You're falling asleep on your feet again."

I shook my head and held out my hand to him. "I wanted to tell you something…"

Sesshoumaru eyed me with concern then stood and wrapped his arm around my waist to keep me standing as I led him away from the little camp. I turned to him once we were far enough away and smiled. My smile faltered as I saw his expression.

"What are you thinking…?" I asked as I gazed up into his face.

"You smell different… I was trying to find out why…"

I bit my lip and turned my gaze to the ground. "I've kept something from you… Something that I should have told you right away… But… I… I didn't want you to have to worry about what we were going to do when the time came…"

Sesshoumaru moved his hand under my chin and lifted my head so he could look me in the eyes. "What are you talking about…?"

I opened my mouth and then shut it again. I pulled my face out of his hand so I could look down as I fumbled with my obi.

"Kaori…?"

I shook my head as I bit my lip and pulled my obi off of me, dropping on the ground and then pulling my kimono open. I looked up at him finally as I revealed my nagajugan as it was now pulled tight over my swollen stomach.

"What…" He started but he stopped, words seemed to fail him.

I let go of my kimono and fumbled with the ties of my nagajugan with shaking hands. Sesshoumaru's warm hands covered mine and helped me finally undo the tie so that I could pull it open, exposing my stomach to him.

"I should have told you earlier…" I whispered as I kept my eyes off his face.

"Since when…?"

"The time in the woods…" I murmured nervously.

"Why didn't you tell me…?"

"Where would we go…? There's no place for us to go when it's time… I didn't want you worrying about me…" I watched as he moved to his knees and placed his ear gently to my swollen stomach; his eyes were closed as he sat there.

"When will it be time…?" He asked.

"I'm not sure… maybe another month… I don't know how long it was for your mother to birth you and so I'm going on how large I am to guess how much longer until I give birth…"

He stood up and pulled me against him, laying my head against his fur since he still wore his chest plate. "There is a place I can take you…" he murmured softly. "But I don't know what condition it is in…"

"I will be fine anywhere…" I answered gently.

He lifted my chin and stared down into my eyes. "I would rather it was somewhere clean… I don't want to lose you…"

I moved his hand to my cheek and closed my eyes. "I will be fine… as long as I am with you…"

He smiled at me then lightly brushed his lips against mine. "I will take care of you… I promise…"

I smiled at him. "I know you will…"

We stood there for a while, his arms around me holding me resting against his fur, and then my legs started to give out.

Sesshoumaru chuckled as he moved me away from him and helped me get dressed. "You need to lie down… you're falling asleep…"

I stuck my tongue out at him and started walking back to camp, until I stumbled. He caught me and swept me up into his arms carrying me back to the little camp.

"At least now I know why you have been so tired and so hungry." He chided as he sat down, still holding me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to sound mad but a yawn ruined the affect.

He laughed and held me closer, making sure I was comfortable. "Sleep now… You can argue with me later…" His lips brushed lightly over mine then he moved my head against his fur.

"Don't think I'll forget…" I mumbled, sleepily.

He chuckled, the sound vibrated in his chest and against my body. "I know you won't…"


	3. An Early Surprise

Days progressed one right after another until I finally noticed we weren't going in the same direction. We had been going North by Northeast and now we were heading West by Southwest. At first I couldn't figure out why we had changed directions; had we gotten a different clue? Then I finally realized, after a week of finally figuring out we had changed directions; we were heading into Sesshoumaru's territory. I cursed myself for not remembering what was in the west, but I lost my train of thought suddenly when I felt something hit me.

"Oh…" I moaned as I stopped walking.

Sesshoumaru rushed to my side in an instant. "What is it?" He asked as he scanned the trees for some invisible threat.

"It's not out there…" I panted as I tried to find the spot where I had felt the hit. "It's in here…" I ran my hand along the bottom of my swollen stomach trying to find the spot I had felt the pain in, only to find it when I was hit again.

Sesshoumaru finally looked down at me and realized what I had meant. "The baby…?"

I nodded weakly and slid his hand in place where I had felt it, the tiny hand, and waited. I smiled at Sesshoumaru's shocked face when the tiny fist hit against his hand. He began to growl until I smacked his arm. "Stop that, he's just a baby."

His growling stopped but he stared into my face, amused. "He…?"

I blushed. "So…?"

"You think it's a boy?"

"He's not an it!" I snapped, blushing more.

Sesshoumaru just laughed as he pulled me against him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…?" Rin asked as we ran up to us. "Is something wrong?"

I pulled away from Sesshoumaru's embrace. "Nothing's wrong Rin. Your little sibling just wanted to say hi." I smiled at her.

Jaken grumbled something incoherently; I shot him a dark look.

"Shall we continue…?" I asked as I looked up at Sesshoumaru again.

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Yes of course."

Rin fell back with Jaken as I walked with Sesshoumaru, keeping my hand against my bump, wondering if he would keep hitting me.

After several hours and several hits and kicks later I finally gave up on walking.

"I don't think he wants me walking anymore…" I murmured as I pressed my hand against one of his little feet.

"Is he still hitting you…?" Sesshoumaru asked as he slowed his pace with me; I nodded. "Would you like to rest for a little…?"

I shook my head. "We have a lot of daylight left… We should keep going until we can't go anymore."

Sesshoumaru gazed down at me and sighed. "You're such a stubborn woman…" Suddenly I as air-born while he moved back to Ah-Un and set me down on the dragon's back. "You're not walking anymore, but since you're insisting that we continue moving then you're riding."

I glowered at him but he didn't change his mind. So I sat there, on the back of the dragon, while I tried to make my baby as comfortable as I could.

So the days progressed in this manner, I would walk until the baby told me not to and Sesshoumaru would stick me on Ah-Un's back until the evening where I would get off, eat, then fall asleep curled up against Sesshoumaru; repeat. Everyday it seemed that my time walking was slowly regressing until I felt like I was hardly walking anymore.

One day I didn't even get a chance to walk; Sesshoumaru seemed quite triumphant by this time.

"You know…" I growled as I sat on Ah-Un's back. "It is healthy for me and the baby to actually walk."

"Yes but **he** doesn't like to walk." Sesshoumaru answered back as he fought to keep his face smooth, it was obvious to see the smug look.

"Yes but sometimes he doesn't get a say in the matter." I snapped back.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking as he looked around. "We're close…" He murmured.

I shut up and started paying attention to my surroundings, even the baby didn't kick. "How close…?" I asked quietly as I ran my hand over my swollen stomach. I had stopped growing and I knew it would only be a matter of time until he was going to be born.

Sesshoumaru caught my movement from the corner of his eyes, his face tightened. "How soon…?"

"Days…" I murmured as I gazed down at my protruding bump. "Weeks maybe… A month if we're lucky…"

He scowled slightly as he walked through the trees once more. "That doesn't give me much time…"

"Much time to do what…?" I asked, but I found the answer. As we entered a clearing in the forest a large dilapidated palace loomed before us; I knew this is what he meant by little time… He was going to repair this place. "Who did this belong to…?"

"It was my father's… This is where my mother lived until she passed away. After that my father abandoned it and took me with him when he traveled."

"Oh…" I murmured as I gazed at the abandoned palace, trying to imagine it when Sesshoumaru was little. I slid from Ah-Un's back and walked slowly to the home. Gingerly I walked up the steps and onto the main floor of what use to be the large, open, main entrance. I was surprised to see how well it was holding up from the inside, I guessed that Sesshoumaru's father had had someone place a spell on the interior to keep it from falling apart. "It's held up quiet well inside…" I whispered; I knew Sesshoumaru had followed me inside.

"It has…" He answered as he followed me through the main entrance.

I slid open the still covered partition that led outside, I gasped. The palace made three walls around a large courtyard that now was completely swallowed up by a rainbow of colors; flowers were blooming everywhere. In the center of the rainbow field was a large gazebo that was also nearly swallowed up by the rampaging blossoms. "It's beautiful back here…"

"It pales in comparison to you…" He murmured as he brushed a strand of hair from my face; I blushed.

"I'm not pretty." I retorted. "I'm bloated."

Sesshoumaru laughed, it made me smile.

A scream broke our bubble of happiness.

"Rin!" I cried as I turned and ran back through the home.

"Wait…" Sesshoumaru hissed as he caught me by my arm. "Stay in here…"

"But Rin—"

"You can't do anything without endangering the baby… You will stay in here."

There was no way I could argue with him when he put it that way. "Don't die…" I murmured as I gripped his arm tightly.

"I won't…" He answered as he pulled himself free gently.

Suddenly everything was quiet, as if I couldn't hear what was happening outside the protective walls of the castle. I stood there, shaking nervously, as I strained to hear anything.

Then there was sniffing.

I stiffened at the sound, was there someone inside with me? Slowly I backed away from the sound, towards the rainbow garden. The sound stopped abruptly and I stopped moving; until I heard someone hissing. I turned and ran from the dilapidated building, out into the courtyard, just before the sound of crashing wood echoed from the place I had been standing.

"I know you're here!!" A voice screeched from inside the palace. "You who smell's like the Lord… I WILL get you…"

My eyes widened in terror as I stumbled over the broken stone path. Thorns from some of the flowering plants tore into my kimono as I ran for the gazebo. I tripped and fell, turning my body so my side slammed into the jagged stones just at the door that led into the garden from the main entrance exploded out into the flowers.

A tall, thin demon stood in the now gaping hole. His long legs didn't compensate for the length in his arms, as they nearly dragged on the ground themselves; he sniffed. "I know you're out here…" he hissed as he scanned the field.

I held my breath as I looked around at the flowers, I was completely submerged. I sighed quietly with relief; if I just stayed hidden he wouldn't be able to find me.

The demon dropped into the flower garden and began to walk around. "You can't hide forever…"

I looked around fervently for a path I could crawl through without disturbing the flowers, but there was nothing. Pain abruptly shot through the arm I was laying on as it finally hit me that I was bleeding. I gazed in horror as my blood slowly seeped into the flower bed below me; he would smell me as soon as he got close enough. I scrambled to dredge up enough magic to throw a shield around me, but I was too panicked; I only succeeded in pulling up enough to hide my appearance.

The sniffing became louder as I scrambled to change me into something else. "Ahh…" The sigh came from my left. "I can smell you…"

I pulled the magic around me tightly, opting for my mother's appearance than my human guise… I left out the wings. I was on my back in minutes as I stared up at my tracker.

"I found you…" He hissed.

I back peddled as fast as I could, scrambling to get away from him, my hand fall on a jagged rock and I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Now, now…" He chided. "Don't run away… You'll only make this harder for yourself…"

I stared up at him with wide eyes. "Stay away from me…" I choked.

He laughed as he waded his way through the flowers. "But I can't stay away…"

I wrapped my injured hand around the jagged rock it had fallen on as I waited from him to get closer.

"Now…" He said as he raised his arm above his head, his hand warped into a scythe. "Hold still… It will be over in a minute…"

I flung the rock at him, relishing in the fact that it sunk into his chest, and scrambled to my feet as I ran to the far side of the garden.

The demon yowled as he ripped the rock from his chest. "You… wench!" He screamed as he dove at me. I screamed as I ducked out of the way, his scythe narrowly missing the back of my neck.

I ran in a different direction, still trying to reach the end of the garden. As I approach the end I realize that I've ran out of places to go; a wall blocks my only means of escape.

The demon laughs. "Looks like the little bird as reached the end of her cage…"

I spun around to face my attacker. His eyes widened as he finally got a good look at my body then they narrowed. "This is the end of you and that creature growing inside you…" He snarled as he raised his arm above his head again.

I turned my head away from him, closing my eyes; I didn't want to see my death.

The demon's arm descended, making a whistling noise as the scythe at the end of his arm came down.

"Oh no you don't!" Someone shouted, and suddenly I was airborne.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw red; I quickly moved my head up and saw the face of my savior. "InuYasha…?" I asked as relief flooded through my body.

InuYasha glanced down at me as he landed next to a hole in the wall a few feet away; it looked like he had made it himself. "Do I know you…?"

I nodded vigorously then stopped as I remembered I had covered what I looked like. "It's me, Kaori." I answered.

He gapped at me. "Kaori…?"

"You really think I could only disguise myself with one look? I'm not that incompetent." I snapped.

He set me down gently. "What's with the huge stomach then…?"

I opened my mouth to answer then shut it again. "Set me down…" I muttered.

"What, did I offend you?" He teased.

"Set me down unless you don't want your hands to fight that demon." I snarled.

As I had spoken the demon charged us. InuYasha dropped me almost instantly and grabbed his sword to block the blow that would have sliced my head off.

I stumbled and nearly fell, only to be caught by Miroku.

"Don't worry…" He said as his hand slid down my back. "You're safe."

"If you move your hand down another inch you won't have to worry about Naraku's curse, you won't have a hand left…" I hissed.

Miroku's eyes widened. "Uh…" He stuttered.

"It's me, Kaori…" I growled as I finally stripped myself free of the magic.

"I knew that…" He blushed.

I glowered as I pulled myself free of his 'helpful' hands.

"Oh wow…" Kagome murmured as she caught sight of my stomach.

"You say anything and you'll never come back to the era ever again." I threatened; her mouth closed.

The demon screeched and wailed suddenly causing all of us to turn and face the sound; it had been stabbed from behind and was now sizzling on the poison that seeped into his body.

"Sesshoumaru…" I whispered as I caught sight of the green whip around the creature's neck and the sword in his stomach.

"Kaori…?" He asked as the demon fell motionless to the floor of flower.

"Sesshoumaru!" I cried as I ran over to him.

"Kaori…" he sighed in relief as he wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have left you…"

I shook my head. "Is Rin safe…?"

"Rin's fine…"

I sighed. "Good…"

I felt Sesshoumaru look over at his younger brother. "I guess I owe you… For saving Kaori…"

I could almost see InuYasha's eyes widen. "Well…" He cleared his throat. "She was in trouble…" He trailed off.

I gripped Sesshoumaru's shirt in my fists as I suddenly felt liquid running down my legs, I moaned.

"Kaori…?" Sesshoumaru asked as he grabbed my arms; I could feel everyone behind us move a little closer.

"Remember how I said we had days…?" I panted, he nodded. "We have minutes…" I groaned.

"What…?" I could hear the shock in his voice.

"Sesshoumaru…" I whispered as I nearly crumpled over in pain. "That baby is coming NOW!!"


	4. Motherhood

"We need a clean place to lay her on!" I heard Sango shouting. Kagome stood beside me as she quickly cleaned and wrapped my bleeding arm and hand.

"Breathe…" She would whisper to me sporadically, any time I would catch my breath and hold it. "You're not helping the pain; you have to breathe through it…"

I glared at her as another wave of pain crippled me. "You must be crazy…"

"Just trust me Kaori; it won't hurt as much if you just focus on breathing and not the contractions. That's how my mom did it with my little brother."

I glowered at her but sighed, she probably was right anyway. I took slow deep breaths and focused only on the movement of my chest as I breathed in and out. Amazingly the pain did dull some.

"There isn't any good place to lay her on! Everything's covered in flowers and the house looks like it's just about to fall down." InuYasha was shouting.

"Just get a clean piece of linen and put it in the gazebo!" I shouted finally getting pissed off with everyone.

Sesshoumaru disappeared only to come back with a pristine white cloth which he quickly spread over the flowers on the gazebo, after checking if they had any thorns.

I walked over to him, with the help of Kagome. I smiled weakly up at him. "Now… You're going to have to take your brother and Miroku away outside…"

He just stared at me.

"I know that you'll be worried about me and I know your brother will keep you from loosing it and I just don't want Miroku around while I'm giving birth…" I stopped and groaned as a particularly large contraction hit me. "Please…" I stood up on my toes and kissed his cheek. "I love you…" with that I moved back and InuYasha dragged my husband out of the garden.

"You'll need to lie down now…" Sango was trying to be gentle with me.

"I know…" I answered as I lay back on the white fabric. I couldn't focus on anything but breathing slowly as the pain pulled through me faster than it should.

"Two minutes between each contraction…" Kagome murmured.

I felt the lower half of my body being moved and I looked down to see that Sango had spread another, more worn, piece of cloth under my hips.

She looked up when she felt me staring at her. "To keep the blood off the white cloth…"

I didn't know what she had meant but I lost all concentration when I was caught off guard by movement in my swollen stomach. "Oh god…" I murmured as I fell flat on the linen.

"Okay…" Kagome said as she moved between my legs. "Take a deep breath, hold it… and push."

I did as I was told. I took a deep breath and pushed.

The pain was immediate and mind numbing but I concentrated on the breathing. I let go of the breath I had been holding and caused my head to swim.

"Don't hold so long." Kagome scolded. "Just count to five and let go."

I tried to keep the rhythm of my breathing steady as I tried to concentrate on anything but the pain. Sweat broke out across my forehead as I continued to breathe, count and push, then let go.

Kagome's face lit up. "You're almost there!! Just keep pushing!!"

I glared weakly at her, how could I only be "almost" there? I took in another deep breath and pushed, holding my breath longer this time.

"Breathe Kaori; you'll make yourself light headed." Sango commanded as she moved down next to Kagome.

I gasped out my breath and tried to shake off the dizziness. _Oh god…_ I thought as I struggled to keep myself from collapsing into the pain. _How much longer…?_ I dragged in a ragged breathe and pushed again, this time I couldn't fight back the scream that clawed it's way up my throat and I screamed as the pressure grew then released. I watched Kagome's face turn into a huge beaming smile and Sango grab whatever she was holding and quickly start working on it, then I heard a slap and a high pitched cry came from where Sango's hands disappeared from my view.

"You're in luck…" She said as she smiled at me. "You have a healthy baby boy." She moved over to me and gently handed me the crying child; I smiled.

"Hello Kaemon…" I murmured as I touched his cheek lightly with my finger tip.

Sesshoumaru was by my side seconds after Sango handed me my child. "I heard you scream…" He started until he saw what I was holding. Quietly he knelt beside me and slowly reached out to touch the baby. "Is that…?"

I smiled. "He's your son…" I turned to gaze up at Sesshoumaru. "I told you I would have a boy… Would you like to hold him…?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at me then slowly reached out. I smiled and gingerly placed Kaemon in his arms, the boy quieted.

"It looks like he knows who you are." I smiled then hissed in pain.

"Sorry." Kagome answered. "Just trying to clean you up so you don't get some infection…"

I shook my head. "Don't be sorry, just warn me next time." I sighed and lay back on the cloth, closing my eyes.

"Good…" I heard Sango say. "None of the blood got on the white cloth." I felt her move me, but I was too tired to argue or say anything. "I'm going to go see if I can clean this one up. Come on Miroku."

I laughed quietly as Sango dragged Miroku away.

"I don't see any of Kaori in him…" InuYasha muttered quietly, but I still heard him.

"Be nice InuYasha!" Kagome hissed. "And he's got her eyes."

"But his eyes are brown."

"Kaori's eyes were brown when I first met her…" Sesshoumaru answered as I felt him sit next to me. He lifted my neck and shoulders up then carefully laid me against him. "Here… He wants his mother…" He murmured as he gently handed me back our son.

"Come on…" I heard Kagome whisper. "Let's leave them alone…"

I sighed contently and touched my finger to Kaemon's nose lightly. "He looks like his father…" I watched Sesshoumaru's hand reach around me and run down Kaemon's cheek lightly; he cooed happily.

"What did you name him…?"

I blushed. "Kaemon…" I answered. "I should have asked… We can change it if you want. He's too young to remember what name we've given him."

"No…" He murmured as we watched Kaemon's tiny fist close around his finger. "I think it fits him just fine…"

I smiled and leaned my head back so I could look up at him. "Are you happy to be a father…?"

He turned to look down at me, still able to keep his finger from traveling into Kaemon's mouth. "As long as it's with you I'm happy to be anything…"

I blushed and cuddled closer to him, closing my eyes. "I'm glad…"

* * *

"Where are you going to keep Kaori and the baby?" I heard someone whisper.

"I was going to try and keep her here but obviously we had an unexpected surprise."

"You can't keep her here, it's falling apart!"

"I know it is, but I was hoping to get it somewhat fixed up before he was born."

"Hush!" one of the girls whispered. "Don't wake them up. Kaori really needs her sleep."

As if he was waiting to be acknowledged Kaemon began to cry.

"Great…" The girl hissed angrily at the two men. "I was hoping she could sleep for another half hour."

I opened my eyes slowly and realized just how tired I really was. "It's alright… He's probably just hungry…"

"Alright men." Sango commanded. "Leave." Miroku and InuYasha stopped off through the whole they had made in the wall, Sesshoumaru stayed sitting next to me. "You too Sesshoumaru…"

"I have seen my wife naked before."

"I know you have but this is her first time feeding a child, ever. Let her have some privacy the first time she tries it."

I wanted to argue but I didn't even know how I was supposed to feed my son so I kept my mouth shut. I turned and gazed up at Sesshoumaru. "Sango knows what she's doing… I'll be okay…" I reassured him.

He stared at me for a moment then sighed and got up.

Sango waited until he was far enough away then turned to me. "Open the top of your kimono."

I gaped at her. "What…?" I tried to bounce Kaemon a little to try and stop his crying it didn't work.

"You breast feed him Kaori, so you need to open up your top and let him feed. I'm assuming you noticed that your breasts are quite larger than usual."

I blinked, I hadn't thought about it. "So I just… open up my top and put him to my breast…?" I asked confused.

"Pretty much."

I nodded weakly and pulled my top off one shoulder then placed Kaemon against my breast; I winced slightly. "ouch. I thought it wouldn't hurt, he doesn't have teeth."

"True…" Sango started as she sat next to me. "But babies suck hard, you'll have to get use to it."

"How do you know all this stuff Sango…?"

"I helped my mother when my brother was born…" She answered slowly.

"I'm sorry…" I murmured. "I didn't mean to bring up such a sad topic…"

We sat in silence as Kaemon fed happily.

"Okay…" Sango murmured. "You're supposed to switch breasts now if he's still feeding."

I stared at her. "What…?"

"It's to keep you from getting a build up of milk in your system."

"Oh…kay…" I murmured as I moved the other side down some, I hoped she couldn't see the bite mark, and carefully switched Kaemon to my left side; Sango pulled my kimono back up over my right breast.

"I know it's a little weird, but you'll get use to it after a couple of times."

I gazed down at my child and sighed a little.

I was a mother… and I didn't even know how to be one…


	5. Left Alone

"I'm surprised to see those two working together so well…" Kagome sighed as she sat beside me.

"If it weren't for Kaemon I don't think he'd help at all…" I answered as I cuddled Kaemon closer to me.

After Kaemon was born Sesshoumaru was determined to make the palace his father left him habitable for me. In the beginning InuYasha refused to help and tried to force his group to leave with him, that was before Kaemon wanted to be held… The moment InuYasha held my son I knew that he'd help us rebuild our new home; no one can say no to Kaemon.

Rin was exuberant to have a little brother; she would play with him constantly. She would sit for hours and let him grab her finger in his tiny hand so she could swing his arms back and forth gently, making him smile.

Kaemon was just a joy… He was so easy to take care of. Sango and Kagome were glad to help me too. Anytime I was too tired to play with him or to even just hold him they would take over and let me sleep until he was hungry. And he was growing. He seemed to be aging faster than a normal baby, but I assumed that was because his father was demon.

"It's almost done now…" Kagome murmured as she touched Kaemon's nose lightly.

I smiled slightly. "Yes… I suppose it is almost done now…" I gazed down at my son, flattening his shinning silver hair; he looked more and more like his father everyday.

"What will you and Sesshoumaru do after the place is fixed…?"

I bit my lip and gazed down at Kaemon, he reached up and grabbed a lock of my hair and just held is as he stared back up at me. "Sesshoumaru plans to continue searching for Naraku while I stay here out of harms way…" I murmured.

"He's told you this?"

I shook my head. "No… I've seen it…"

* * *

"Kaori…?" Sesshoumaru murmured.

"Hmm…?" I turned around from the window I had been staring out.

"Are you alright…?"

"Of course I am…" I smiled and walked over to him. I undid his breastplate and pulled it off him so I could lay my head against his chest.

"Are you sure…?" He asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around my back; I shivered as they brushed along the feathers of my wings.

"I'm alright, I promise."

He lifted me up and placed me on the sill of the window so he could look more easily into my face. "I love you…"

"I love you too…" I answered as I leaned forward and kissed him lightly.

He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me back, sliding his tongue easily past my lips. One hand slid gently down my neck, across my shoulder and over my side.

Before he could go any further the crying began.

"Kaori-sama…?" Rin asked as she walked into the room. "I think he's hungry…"

Sesshoumaru helped me off the sill and I made my way over to Rin and Kaemon. Rin handed me Kaemon and I sat down by the window and got ready to feed him as Sesshoumaru made Rin go play in the garden.

"We'll have to get regular milk soon…" I murmured as Sesshoumaru sat beside me, running a finger through Kaemon's silver waves.

"Is he getting to old for breast milk…?" Sesshoumaru asked as he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on our son's head.

"He's growing faster than I expected… I don't know anything about children… demon or human…"

"I'll bring you some milk for him when you think he's ready…"

I leaned back into Sesshoumaru's warmth and cradled Kaemon in my arms as he fell asleep. He would tell me soon… I knew he would…

"Kaori…" He murmured into my hair.

"Mm…?" I answered with my eyes closed; I didn't want him to see.

"I have to go… I can't let Naraku still be on the loose when I have you and Kaemon and Rin to worry about…" He lifted my chin so I opened my eyes slowly, trying to keep the tears from spilling out. "I don't want to loose you or our son…"

"I know…" I murmured quietly as I gazed up into his face. "I know you have to leave…"

He stared into my eyes for a long moment. "You've known all along… haven't you…?"

I nodded slowly, closing my eyes against the tears.

He pulled me to him, careful to not wake Kaemon, and kissed me fervently. "You know I'd only leave you if I really thought it was necessary…"

"I know…" I whispered weakly.

"I love you…"

"I love you too…"

The next day I woke alone with two cows penned in back of the garden, he was gone…


	6. To Protect

**A/N: This one starts out kinda like they're journal entries... I'm having trouble working the story in the direction I want it to go lol**

* * *

Jaken nearly had a heart attack when he realized that he had been left here to watch "a half breed brat child and his not-demon mother". I gave him a swift kicking and told him to go make himself useful and get the milk if he didn't want to be around my child or me.

Things didn't look like they were going to be easy…

* * *

The days progressed slowly as I tried to find things to keep me busy. Kaemon was steadily growing larger, he crawled everywhere now and soon he would be up right and walking…

I wonder what his first word will be…

* * *

It's lonely here… The days slowly bleed into each other as I try to keep a smile plastered to my face. Rin loves to play with Kaemon who is going to be walking on his own any day now. He looked so much like his father sometimes it broke my heart to look at him, but I hold myself together because he was all I have while his father was away.

…Sesshoumaru…

* * *

Kaemon loves to talk. His favorite words are "Momma", "Win", and "fwower!!" All three are what he seems to like the most, Rin, flowers, and me.

He runs around like crazy, I worry that he will hurt himself on the more thorn-laden flowers. I cut them back as much as I could but he always seemed to like their colors better than the others.

Kaemon looks like the age of a one-year-old human child… he's only a few months old…

He doesn't know he has a father…

* * *

Something's coming… I've felt the presence of something foreboding heading towards our secluded little home for days now…

I jump at every noise that sounds remotely unfamiliar. I hardly let Rin and Kaemon out into the front of our home unless I was there to watch them; I had stopped trusting Jaken to watch over my two children.

I hardly slept at night anymore for fear that our attacker was waiting for us to be at our weakest…

* * *

The earthquake is what woke me up. The earth shuddering, stilling, and then shuddering again… Almost like…

"Someone's coming…" I murmured as I slid myself free from between my son and Rin. "Jaken." I hissed as I carefully snuck out of the room.

"You heard it too Milady…?" He answered from the spot he had taken up by the door.

I gaped at him for a moment, I never thought I'd hear that escape his beak-y little mouth. "Something large is coming this way… I've felt its presence for some time now…"

"So that's why you were so on edge for the past month…"

I slid my sword from my sheath and gazed down at the cold steel. "Is there a way for Rin to get Kaemon and herself out of here…? Did Sesshoumaru and InuYasha fill in the hole in the back of the garden…?"

"Nay… Rin and Kaemon can escape through there if no one knows there's a way in through…"

"We'll have to pray they don't…" I turned to look at the small toad demon that had, for months, been the bane of my existence. "Wake them up and take them out of here…"

"But Milady…"

"No Jaken… this isn't the time to argue with me… Protect Rin and Kaemon with your life or I will end it myself…"

I left Jaken and headed into one of the other rooms in the large expanse of our home; I needed to find any wards for protection I had left…

"Nothing…" I moaned as I sat on the floor. "I have nothing left…" I knew I didn't have time to make anymore either.

"Momma…?"

I spun around, ran over to Rin who was holding my son and knelt down. "Hi baby…" I murmured softly as I touched his nose. "You can go back to sleep now…" I looked at Rin and bit my lip. "I want you to follow Jaken… Don't look back and don't stop… When you're out of sight of our home you take Kaage and you go back to my village, Kaage knows the way. You stay there until I come for you. Do you understand…?"

Rin nodded weakly.

"Good." I leaned forward and kissed her forehead then Kaemon's. "Jaken will protect you… I'll come for you soon I promise." I scooted them out the back door and into the garden then turned my attention to Jaken. "Take this…" I pulled off a thin silver chain, a feather encased in amber hung from the end of it. "Show it to the villagers of my home, they'll know who it belongs to." I stopped and stared at him. "Don't you dare let anything happen to either of them."

"of course." He answered and shuffled out after the children.

I stood there in the doorway watching them until the night swallowed them up and the earth shaking started to get harder. I closed the door and turned around to face the opponent.

"Mother…" I whispered. "Please protect me and mine…"

…Sesshoumaru… Why aren't you here…?

There was no hiding this time; I didn't even try to cover what I looked like. They knew what they were looking for, they had been told to kill the people in this palace, no matter what they looked like… No… Now was the time to wait… Wait and hope…

When the walls began to bend and splinter I knew they were close. I sat down on my knees, laid my sword across my lap, clasped my hands together over, bent my head, closed my eyes and prayed. I prayed and prayed and prayed as the walls swayed and creaked. I prayed for strength, for knowledge, for protection. I prayed for someone to watch over my children as they ran, in secret, away from the home. I prayed that I was strong enough to defeat the enemy that was closing in on my home and if not, that Sesshoumaru would know where the children went if I could not tell him. I prayed for the knowledge of my abilities since I hardly knew anything about them.

But most of all… I prayed for courage…


	7. My Child

Panting I ran in through the woods, my sword barely clutched in my hand from the right arm that hung limp at my side, my left hand was pressed against my right forearm as blood continued to seep between my fingers; I had to hurry. A root catches my foot causing me to careen forward, without an arm to stop me I turn my body and slam my left side into the ground, a thorn digs its way into my wing; I can't scream though, I can't let them know where I am. I struggle to my feet before I continue running in the direction I was headed.

"Kaemon…"

**_The rumbling stopped and the walls of my home finally stopped swaying._**

"_**I smell you…" The creature outside hissed.**_

_**I heard the wind whistle as he raised his hand and brought it down on the roof. I raised my sword just in time and keep him from crushing me along with the wooden walls. Hot blood sprayed across my face and chest as my sword cut into his palm.**_

_**The demon recoiled, pulling his wounded hand away from my sword. Cold steel glinted under the dark blood as I stood and readied myself for another attack.**_

_**He looked around at the broken mess of my home and grunted. "Der's no one 'ere…"**_

_**I watched the demon as he looked back and forth across the wreckage and realized he was blind unless the thing he was hunting was moving.**_

"_**I smell you…" He grunted again as he sniffed the air around where I stood.**_

_**I held perfectly still as he sniffed around… then the wind blew in his direction…**_

"_**Ah… found you!" He bellowed as he swung his massive hand in my direction; I couldn't react fast enough. He caught my left side and smashed me into one of the few support beams that were still standing.**_

_**I felt bones break as the support beam broke under the strain of the hit. I slid to the floor and shook my head, dazed, and gazed down at my arm; damn, it was useless. Blood began to seep out of the gash that ran down my forearm.**_

"_**I smell your blood." The demon growled as he turned his blind attention to where I was huddled.**_

_**I sucked in a breath of air as I pulled out a piece of wood that had lodged itself in my arm. I stood and held my sword tightly in my left hand; I had to give them enough time to get away.**_

_**The demon snarled and swung his hand down on me again, but this time I was ready. I rolled to the side and swung down on his wrist, cutting into the soft flesh; it would take several hacks to make it to the bone. He yowled and pulled back, bashing me to the side with his other hand; it took me longer to get up that time.**_

_**I laid there, dazed and confused, as I tried to pull the pieces of my brain back together long enough for me to stand up. The demon's massive, uninjured hand closed around me and lifted me off the ground.**_

"_**I gots her!" He chortled as he shook me back and forth like a rag doll. "I kill her now." He began to squeeze.**_

_**I gasped for air and clawed at his hand as he squeezed the air from my lungs, but I didn't really try.**_

_**Then I heard the scream. The high-pitched scream that could only belong to one of my two children.**_

"_**Kaemon! Rin!!" I cried as I brought my sword up with both hands and shoved it into the demon's hand, as deep as I could get it.**_

_**The demon howled and instantly threw me away from him. I hit the ground and skidded.**_

_**When I stopped I struggled to my feet and ran into the woods next to my ruined home.**_

"Kaemon… Rin…" I breathed as I ran to the clearing by the wall that closed in the back of the house.

What I saw on the ground nearly made my heart stop.

"Rin!" I cried as I ran over to the unmoving body of the Rin. "Oh please… Please…" I whispered as I check over her body.

Good… She's still breathing.

I scanned over her body but didn't see any life threatening wounds, just some bumps and bruises, another good thing.

Someone groaned just up ahead and I ran over to him or her with my sword drawn.

"Jaken…?" I questioned as I came up to the other body.

He was gasping for air and there was a large hole in his side.

"Oh Jaken…" I sighed as I ripped the bottom half of my kimono off and tied it around him to keep the blood in. "Thank you…" I choked; I knew he had defended Rin and Kaemon at the expense of his life. "Kaage…?" I murmured, as I looked around for my faithful feline. I found him a few feet away sprawled out in unconsciousness; I tugged off my left sleeve and tied it around his body to stop the bleeding that oozed slowly from the cut in his side. Carefully I lifted my wounded companion and placed him in the dark trees next to where Rin still lay then proceeded to gingerly carry Jaken to the same area and lastly Rin.

I snooped around until I found a cave then carried them all into the cave. I went back out into the clearing and ran around as I looked desperately for Kaemon.

"Kaemon?" I asked as I look around. "Kaemon honey…" I murmured as I felt the tears well up in my eyes.

"Kaemon." I choked as I fell to my knees.

"KAEMON!!!!" I screamed as I felt my heart break, they had taken my son.


	8. Blood, Death, and Survival

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long!! Please enjoy this short chapter.**

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* * *

**

Part of my mind tried hard to silence me and my screaming, but it wasn't working. I had lost my son, my baby, and my heart hurt more than it had in many months.

The ground began to rumble as the demon that had attacked my home followed the sound of my pain filled screams.

"I founds you!" He called as he came across my location.

I heard the air whistle as his huge hand came crashing down on me, and something snapped within me.

An orb formed around me and kept his hand from crushing me to the ground. Slowly I stood and turned to the demon, focusing the full weight of my livid tangerine gaze on him. Rivers of molten rock forced the ground around me apart as newfound energy coursed through me.

"It is said that the color of the Haibane's hair and eyes represent the element that charges their power…" I gripped my katana tightly in my left hand as two small flames danced their way around the blade until it was suddenly ablaze in it.

The demon brought his hand down on me again, but the orb still stood in his way and his blow fell harmlessly against the shield that protected me.

I stared up at the demon as the rivers of molten rock around me began to release geysers of fire, as tall as him, into the air. "You took my son away from me, now you'll pay…" I charged the demon, leapt into the air and swung my sword straight down through the demon, cleaving him cleaning into two separate pieces; then I turned to the Saimyosho in the sky above me.

"I think only one is enough to tell Naraku that I will hunt him down and tear him into pieces with my bare hands…" I waved my hand and the geysers of flames erupted into the sky, burning all of the Saimyosho but one.

There… I told myself. We're safe for now… With that I collapsed to the earth as I slipped into unconsciousness.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"I can't believe he made us come back here and check up on her. I mean can't he do that himself?" Someone growled.

"My god…" A female voice murmured in astonishment. "What do you think happened here?"

"Look!!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Kaori…?" I heard someone question as I felt my body being moved.

I opened my eyes and stared up at a blurry figure with silver hair. "Sesshoumaru…?" I whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Sorry, no…" He answered trying to make it sound light and joking.

"Inu…Yasha…?" I questioned as raised my hand to touch the person who was hovering over me. "Why are you here…?"

"I'd ask you the same question. Looks like you were at the center of an earthquake or something."

"What…?" I questioned as I turned to look at the ground next to me; the gaping cracks that had been there when the magic poured through me were still evident, minus the flowing magma. Then I remembered what happened.

"He's gone…" I choked as tears filled my eyes.

"InuYasha what did you do?" Kagome asked as she stepped gingerly nearer to us. "She's crying."

"I didn't do it!" He responded as he tried to move away from me.

I gripped his shirt. "They took him." I turned to look up at InuYasha. "They took my son." I buried my face into his shirt as I sobbed.

InuYasha stiffened then slowly moved his arms around me and awkwardly tried to pat my back to console me.

"What did she say?" Someone asked

"They've taken her son." InuYasha answered.

"WHAT?!?!?" Was the response from the group.

"Did they take everyone else?"

"Kaori…?" InuYasha began as he tried to pull back. "Did they just take your son or everyone else?"

I shook my head and pointed in the direction that the cave was in; InuYasha freed himself and ran off in the direction I had pointed. I began to cough and blood splattered against my hand and the ground. Kagome made a concerned noise and went to move closer to me but the ground began to shudder under us.

"Kagome!" Sango shouted as she grabbed the girl's arm and pull her back as the ground began to collapse.

"Kaori!!" Kagome shouted as she tried to pry herself free of Sango's grasp.

"You can't! The grounds collapsing, there's no way to get to her in time!!"

I watched as the ground around me crumbled away and knew I had minutes left because I would fall into the chasm around me.

"Someone save her!!" Kagome shouted as she stared at me where I sat in the epicenter of the collapse.

The wind picked up and a tornado came out of the woods behind me just as the ground collapsed beneath me and I fell.

"NO!!!!" Kagome shouted.

"Gotcha!" Someone said as I was pulled out of the hole. Seconds later I landed on the opposite side of the gaping hole from the gang. I looked up to my left to see a demon boy holding me, a huge grin on his face.

"Wolf demon." I said as I stared up at him.

The boy gaped at me in shock. "How did you…" But he stopped as a blur or red leapt across the wide pit in the ground.

"Koga!!!"

"InuYasha." Responded the boy whose name I assumed was Koga.

InuYasha landed drawing his sword and pointing it at the wolf demon. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing mutt." Koga answered leering at InuYasha. "I just heard Kagome shouting as this girl here nearly fell into that hole in the ground so I came and saved her." He put his hands on his hips with an arrogant smile.

I backed away from the arguing men until I started coughing again. I hit my knees as blood squeezed between my fingers as I covered my mouth.

"Kaori!!!" I heard Kagome shout as she tried to run around the hole as I felt the darkness I had hated dearly swallow me whole and suck me back into unconsciousness.


	9. Preparations

**A/N: Tada!!! I hope you enjoy this slightly longer installation of For Better of for Worse!!

* * *

**

Koga caught the now unconscious Kaori automatically. "Um…" He started as he stared down at her. "Wow, look at all that damage."

The damage done to Kaori's body didn't seem evident until she had finally been moved into the light.

"Oh my god." Kagome exclaimed as she finally made it over to the two boys. "It looks like she was fighting before we showed up."

Her right arm hung lifelessly from her side and her ribs bent at wrong angles indicating that some of them were broken. Her left wing was damaged and blood stained her lips. She looked a lot worse than they had originally seen.

"No wonder she kept coughing up blood." Kagome looked up at InuYasha. "Is there somewhere to put her? There's no way I can help her, she's just going to need to lay still for awhile."

"There's the cave that she used to hide Rin and Jaken in."

"Great, could you show us the way?" She turned to Koga. "Could you carry her?"

Koga stared at her. "What? Why do I have to carry her?"

"Because you're already hold her."

He blinked. "Well if you wish, but I would much rather carry you." He winked at Kagome as he lifted the fragile looking Kaori.

"Why you…" InuYasha started as he turned to Koga.

"Sit boy!"

InuYasha fell to the ground as Kagome stormed off to the other side of the hole to Sango and Miroku.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

My body felt heavy, as I finally was able to pull free from the fog of unconsciousness; I was lying on cold stone from what I could tell without opening my eyes. Everything in my body ached, it felt as if I had fallen down a cliff and hit every stone on the way down.

Finally I opened my eyes and stared up at a rock ceiling.

_I'm in a cave…_ I blinked a few times to clear my vision as I turned my head. The cave was nearly black and it took me a moment to adjust to the gloomy state.

Only one other person was with me in the cave, it was the wolf boy.

I heaved in a large amount of air and instantly regretted it; my ribs hurt more than I could even imagine. I tried to bite back the pained noise that clawed at my throat but the sudden movement from the boy in the corner notified me that I had failed in covering the sound.

His head jerked up from where it had been resting on his knee, the other leg laid flat against the stone; he started sniffing.

I tried to lie still enough to let him go back to sleep but a burning sensation started in my left wing and shoulder blade and I just couldn't lie still anymore. I fidgeted as I tried to quell the burning in my shoulder blade and obviously alerted him to my now awake state.

"Hey." He said as he got up and walked over to me. "Are you awake?" He knelt down beside me as he looked down into my face.

I opened my mouth to answer and my throat felt dry and useless; I shut it. I knew I could "see" things so I wondered if I could project images into other people's minds. There was no other way for me to communicate that I needed water so I reached out and touched his leg; instant regret.

Instead of showing him that I needed water him and I were both pulled into a whirl of images that I was sure were his present future if he continued down the same path he was heading.

He finally wrenched himself free of my grasp and jumped backwards. "What was that?"

I shook my head as best as I could and tired to raise my arm to point to my throat. I gave up and began to slowly scratch the letters into the rock.

"W…" He started as he inched closer to see was I was trying to say. "Water? Oh you need water." He leapt across me to the entrance, careful to not touch me; moments later he came back holding a hollowed out rock. He knelt down next to me and debated over something.

"If I touch you will that… Thing happen again…?"

I thought for a moment then shook my head slightly, I wasn't trying to show him images so I assumed we were both safe.

He watched me for a moment then decided that I was safe. He sat the bowl down and then proceeded to carefully lift me up enough to pour the water into my mouth.

I choked and started coughing; the water came out pink. I stared in horror at the water that came back out of my mouth.

"I guess there was still some blood in your throat."

I looked up at the boy with a questioning look.

"Well you were coughing up all this blood awhile ago so I assumed there's still some in your throat."

I blinked then shook the water off my hand to the side away from him. "How long…" I whispered. I tried to clear my throat and tried again. "How long have I been here…?"

"Almost a month."

I stared up at him, shock on my face. "Why are you still here?"

He blinked at me. "Well…" he started. "Kagome asked me too…"

"Ah…" I responded as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. "You don't need to stay here anymore."

"huh?"

I turned to him. "You don't need to stay. In fact, it would be better if you left."

"It that how you treat your savior?" He huffed as he started getting angry.

"You need to leave. There's something you need to do and if you stay here you're going to miss your chance."

"I don't understand…"

"Well you should. You saw it too." She stared up at him until, slowly, he realized what she was talking about.

"Oh…" He started. "Oh I get it…"

"You better get moving."

He nodded slowly and started backing out of the cave, still staring at me. "Don't kill yourself, alright? Kagome would kill me if I left and you died."

"Just go already." I answered.

He nodded quickly, turned, and was out of the entrance in a gust of wind.

I sighed, winced, and then looked around me at the cave. It was relatively small and damp. I sighed and slid myself slowly backwards until I felt the wall behind me. I leaned back and closed my eyes.

_I wonder if Sesshoumaru has come home…_ I sighed again and realized that was stupid. _I wonder if he heard about our son…_

"Probably not…" I answered myself out loud.

"Probably not what?"

I jumped, winced, and turned to the entrance to the cave; it was Kagome and Shippo.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you." She said as she walked into the cave. "I see you're finally up."

"Yes, I have been asleep long enough." I answered as I turned away from her. "Where are the others?"

"Well I have no clue where InuYasha is but I'm sure Miroku and Sango are out with Jaken and Rin. They both woke up not too long after we found so they have been going out for fresh air once they were able to walk again."

"I see… and Kaage?" Since I knew the other two were up I was hoping Kaage was better so I could have him take us back to the village.

"Well…" She started.

"What happened to him?"

"Nothing happened." She answered quickly. "He just hasn't healed fully. The wound was a lot worse than I had originally thought when I first some him. He looked like he was almost cut in half."

"Oh…" I murmured. "Thank you for caring for us."

She smiled this time. "Oh it was nothing. I mean I couldn't sense any jewel shards besides Koga's anyway so it was good to sit and rest for a bit."

"Jewel Shards…?"

"Kagome can sense the shards of the Shikon jewel!!" Shippo piped in.

She actually blushed.

"Ah, so that's why you travel with that group. Besides Naraku."

She nodded.

I leaned my head back against the rock wall; breathing heavily, it was taking a lot of energy out of me to talk to everyone.

"Oh I'm sorry! You must be exhausted!!" Kagome exclaimed.

"It's alright…" I murmured.

"Do you have somewhere you can go…?" She asked as she knelt next to me.

I opened my eyes slowly and turned to look at her. "Huh…?"

"Well your place… It was destroyed… And this cave isn't really a suitable place to stay even if you could get someone to rebuild your home. So I didn't know if you had somewhere where you could stay safe until you were healthy again or Sesshoumaru came for you."

I nearly laughed at her statement; it was like even she knew how slim the possibility of Sesshoumaru coming looking for me. "I can probably return to my village but I will have to wait until Kaage is better to return with all of us and safely…"

"Oh…"

I nodded then closed my eyes; I needed to rest.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Come on InuYasha. It's not going to kill you."

"I've helped her out enough already! Why do I have to carry her back to that village? We don't even know where it is exactly!"

"Shhh!! Not so loud! We don't want her to wake up."

Someone got angry and stormed out of the cave.

I knew I was awake and not dreaming by the sounds of the wildlife outside the cave; it was night. I opened my eyes slightly and saw everyone over in a corner. Rin was already asleep by Jaken and Kaage, Shippo was asleep on Kagome's lap, and I was sure the others weren't far behind.

"He's so rude." Kagome muttered.

"Well we'll let him cool off tonight and see if maybe we can get him to help out tomorrow." Sango answered.

"True, we should all get some sleep." Miroku agreed.

I waited quietly for everyone to be asleep then I pushed myself to my feet.

_I can't stay here… I need to go after my son._

Slowly I made my way to the door of the cave. I picked up the katana that lay to one side of the opening then quietly slipped out.

_I'm sorry Rin…_ _I'll come find you soon I promise…_

I knew that they would end up taking Rin and Jaken to the village, if not Kaage would do it; he knew what to do when I was gone.

With one look back into the cave I sighed and turned my attention to the sky.

Oh Stars of the night please give me a path through the night unharmed and send me toward my final destination…

"To Naraku…" I murmured and began walking into the woods.


	10. The Hunt Begins

I traveled mainly at night, I had no covering for my wings to traverse by day and probably run into people. I didn't know where to start looking for Naraku and his hide out, so I headed the one direction I knew nothing about, south.

My body protested moving the moment I left the cave, and only a week into my journey I was with fever, but there was no stopping; I would find my son.

"Can you believe it…?" I heard someone whisper by my camp, I had not made a fire as usual to hide my presence.

"Believe what?" another answered.

"Well they say that there have been sightings of an Haibane!!"

I stopped and held my breath. I knew I had been extremely careful around villages and towns, but it turned out it wasn't enough.

"Oh don't start with that. You know they're extinct and have been for hundreds of years."

"But it's true!!!"

"Well have you seen this Haibane yourself?"

"Well no… But I know other's who have!"

"Name one good reliable source that has actually set sights on this fabled person."

The first person stayed quiet for some time.

"See you can't. No one has actually seen one in years."

"What about that one that was taking in orphans?"

"Everyone knows she's dead. And with her, the whole race died. They don't exist anymore so shut up about it."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and was extremely thankful to the "source" for being unreliable. It would have been bad if people started learning about me.

Slumping to the ground I leaned my head back against a tree and closed my eyes; my fever wasn't getting any better.

"I'd say this is almost like the first time I was sick but Sesshoumaru isn't following me and I'm not human…" I murmured out loud to myself. "I have to keep going… I have to save my son…"

No one would save him but me; no one even knew he was missing…

_That's not true._

"Go away…"

_But it's not true. There were others who knew he was missing._

"This isn't about them. They have more important things to do."

_You know they would help if you had asked._

"But I'm not asking for help. I don't need it."

_Yes you do. Look at yourself. You're falling apart at the seams._

"Shut up." I hissed.

God I wonder how many people would think I'm insane because I'm talking to myself.

I needed sleep….

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

I was dreaming…

In my dream the ground in front of me cracked and hot magma poured up through the cracks and over the land before me, burning everything in its path. I watched as animals ran for their lives in vain. Demons, humans, animals; nothing could stand in the way of the lava flow; none could run either.

Then I saw it head towards my home, I saw Rin and Kaemon in the destructive path of the lava.

"NO!!!" I screamed as I desperately tried to do something to save my children.

I stood there willing the lava to stop in a desperate attempt to save my children… And it did. Then it slowly started flowing back to me. I held my arms open, waiting for it to hit me, at least my children were safe, but it never did.

It went in me.

Suddenly my body felt like it was on fire. I was burning from the inside. I fell to my knees, holding my head, and screamed continuously.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

I woke up and realized that I wasn't just burning up in the dream, but my whole body felt like it was on fire. I struggled to sit up, I needed cool off and fast.

"oh no! You shouldn't be moving around yet!!" I heard a female voice scold me. "You have such a nasty fever!"

Someone had found me; I nearly panicked.

"Calm down, stop thrashing about, you're just going to make yourself worse." The woman came into view. She was elder, her hair nearly all white and gray. She sat down next to me. "If you just rest your fever will go away."

"I have to save my son…" I protested.

"Now, now." She started as she rung out a cloth and placed it on my forehead. "You can't save your son if you're with fever. You may even get yourself in trouble at that rate. Just rest. You'll be back on your feet in no time."

"You're not afraid of me…?" I murmured as I gazed up at her.

"Oh good heavens no! Just because you look different doesn't make you dangerous. You're sick you need to rest. Everything will be okay soon, I promise."

I wanted to believe the kind words she spoke to me. So I closed my eyes and prayed that she would be safe taking care of me.


	11. Family Ties

**A/N: Yes I know it's really short but I needed to get a filler chapter in and I'm having trouble concentrating on anything due to a family issue that has come back to my attention.**

**Please bear with me and do enjoy the chapter!

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I sat outside the small hut on the porch and stared off into the forest. I had been here with the elderly woman and her husband just about two weeks and I was finally feeling better.

"Ah… I see your up." The woman said as she came out of her house.

"Yes I am. Thank you for taking care of me for so long. I will be leaving soon though."

"Yes. To save your son."

I opened my mouth then closed it. "You already know what I'm going to say don't you?"

She smiled and slowly sat down next to me. "Once upon a time I would have done anything to save my child. She was very lively and extremely talented in sowing. She made beautiful silk kimonos for the Lady's in the higher classes and her husband forged weapons for the armies. They were very happy. I would have done anything to keep it that way."

I gazed at the woman beside me in wonder. _Could she…_ I stopped. _No. No she couldn't be._

"What happened to them?" I asked as I watched her.

"The opposing army ransacked the village they lived in they killed everyone. They were going to bring their child up the next day to visit us; it would have been the first time in several years that I would have seen my granddaughter."

I turned my face away from the aging woman beside me to cover my shock. _She might actually be my grandmother… My last connection to the human world…_

"In fact…" She continued. "She would be about your age now if she had lived."

I fought not to look back at her, to tell her that it was I, that I was still alive and that she had a great grandson. But I couldn't. I couldn't tell her who I was.

I'll come back after I get Kaemon back… After we're a family again…

"I'm sorry for your loss…" I murmured.

"At least you can still save your whole world." She answered as she stood up. "Stop sitting here worrying and go get him."

I turned and smiled at her. "Thank you."

She smiled back. "No… Thank you…"

As I walked away I heard her husband turn to her and ask; "Was that her…?"

"Yes…" She replied. "That was our little Kaori…"

I bowed my head as a tear slid down my cheek. _I promise…_ I told myself as I continued into the forest. _I promise that as soon as I have my son and daughter I will bring them back here to meet them._


	12. In His Arms

**A/N: I swear they're getting longer! **

**Here's another chapter for the story. There shouldn't be too much more to be writing about. As soon as this one is also wrapped up I will be looking into starting a new fanfiction to be worked on between the one I am co-writing.**

**Enjoy**

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I followed the clues of where Naraku was hiding for months and still I found nothing.

"Damn it!" I yelled in frustration. "I am so sick of this man!!"

"Sick of who…?" A male voice asked from behind.

I spun around, unsheathing my katana at the same time, and brandished at the person behind me.

"Oh…" I whispered as my grip on my sword loosened. "This is a dream isn't it…?"

There before stood the man I hadn't seen in almost half a year; Sesshoumaru.

"This isn't real right? You're not really here, it's just my imagination playing tricks on me since I've been without you for so long." I started rambling.

"Kaori…" He murmured.

"Yes…?"

"Shut up."

I stopped and blinked. "How dare you tell me to shut up!" I huffed as glared at him. "Do you have any idea what I've been through? Let alone what I've had to deal with while you were M.I.A. Our home decides to become the target of Naraku and now has been totally flattened. Jaken and Kaage nearly die while they try to take Rin and Kaemon back to my home village and I nearly died! Let alone the fact that that thing that calls himself a man has now kidnapped our son. I've been trying to find that bastard for months now and he is always two steps ahead of me! You would think that with this ability to see things I would already know where he was but noooo!"

"Kaori." Sesshoumaru was trying to stop me while I had totally lost it on my rant. "Kaori!" He tried again.

"Damnit Kaori!" He grabbed my arm and turned me to him, taking hold of my other arm and shaking me. "Kaori would you shut up!"

I stopped and blinked before I turned to look up at him. Tears welled up in my eyes. "Oh Sesshoumaru!" I cried as I buried my head into his fur. "You don't have any idea what's been going on…"

Sesshoumaru stiffened under my touch then slowly relaxed as he pulled me closer. "I'm sorry Kaori… I should have been there for you…" He held me for a moment as I composed myself.

"Kaori…" He murmured as he pulled back. "Did I hear you right…? He took our son…?"

I nodded as I wiped away my tears. "He set up a trap… He sent a demon to the home to distract me so that he could take our son when I sent Jaken to take Kaemon and Rin into hiding then take them back to my home until it was safe… I was so stupid…"

"Kaori I'm sure you had no idea. You did what you could to protect them."

I shook my head. "Why aren't you angry with me? I lost our son! I let that psychotic man take him to god knows where. How can you be so calm?!?"

"Because you nearly died Kaori. You nearly lost your life trying to protect our children, why would I ever be mad at you?"

I looked up at him. "How… How did you know…?"

"Besides your little rant you went on? Why do you think my half brother showed up when he did? I knew something was wrong and I made him go back."

I gazed up the man I had loved since the moment I met him. "Oh Sesshoumaru…" I murmured as I stood up on my toes and brushed my lips across his. "No more please…" I continued as I moved away. "Don't go away anymore. Don't leave me alone…"

He sighed as he pulled me against him. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You don't do anything foolish like getting yourself killed."

I smiled. "I promise."

"Good…" Sesshoumaru moved to a tree and sat down with me in his lap. "Now tell me, where's Rin?"

I blinked. "Uhm…" I started, blushing slightly. "By now I would assume she's back in my village with my brother and sister…"

"You don't know for sure?"

"No…" I admitted. "I kind of left without making sure… But I know Kaage, he would have taken them to my village when he was healed enough to fly."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "What am I going to do with you…?"

I smiled as I carefully untied his breastplate and moved it off of him. "I can think of lots of things."

He smirked as he ran a finger down my cheek and neck. "I'm sure you can…" He leaned over me, his lips just barely above mine. "I can too…"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

I stood there carefully threading my wings back through my kimono as I stared off to the south.

"What are you looking for…?" Sesshoumaru asked as he walked up behind me.

"I'm looking for energy signatures…" I murmured as I tied my obi in place. "I've noticed that there is one area in particular that doesn't have any at all…"

"What does that mean?"

"It means…" I turned to face him. "I think I've just found where Naraku has been hiding from us."


	13. The Heart

**A/N: Sorry these are a little short I think but I'm writing what I can. I hope you're still enjoying them anyway!

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I stood staring at a giant blank rock fast; I had been standing there staring at it for hours now.

"Kaori no matter how long you stare it's always going to be a cliff face." Sesshoumaru said as he watched me.

"This isn't supposed to be here." I repeated I wasn't sure how many times I've said it now.

Sesshoumaru walked up to me and stared at the wall with me. "Do you think you're going to melt it by glaring at it?"

"No… But I am going to find a way past this thing."

Then it hit me.

"Hand me you sword." I said as I held out my hand to him.

He blinked and started to slide Toukijin from his belt.

"No, no, no. Not that one. Hand me Tenseiga."

"Tenseiga…?"

"Yes, yes. I want Tenseiga for a minute."

Sesshoumaru stared at me as if I had grown a second head but slowly slide Tenseiga from its sheath and handed it to me.

I held Tenseiga with both hands and slid my feet apart while closing my eyes.

"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Shhh…" I whispered as I focused my energy into his sword.

You're a sword of life Tenseiga. I need that life saving part right now. I know that before you is a barrier of a man who only takes life from this world. Please… Help me…

I knew the sword only worked for Sesshoumaru but I hoped with his son being on the other side, and a little push from my own power, it would be able to cut through Naraku's barrier.

When I could feel the heat surging down the blade I opened my eyes and swung Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga at the fake rock wall.

For a moment I didn't think it worked and I was about to throw another tantrum the rock shivered and then disappeared.

"Here you go." I said in the most nonchalant voice I could muster while I handed Sesshoumaru his sword back.

"You had no idea if that would work." He answered as he slid his sword back into the sheath.

"Of course I did." I answered. "Come on let's go get our son back."

Sesshoumaru shook his head as he followed me into Naraku's hidden lair.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

I stopped and looked around; my breathing was getting labored.

_If I'm having trouble breathing…_ I stopped myself. I wouldn't think about that, I couldn't. He was alive; he had to be.

"Are you alright?" Sesshoumaru looked over at me from where he had continued walking ahead.

"Mmhmm…" I mumbled. "Look out!" I dove at Sesshoumaru, knocking him to the ground, just as a blade of wind sliced across his path.

"You have good reflexes…" It was Kagura. "Dodge this one!"

Several more blades flew at Sesshoumaru and me. We spilt in two directions before they could hit us.

"Sesshoumaru!" I called as I drew my blade.

"Don't pay attention to me, pay attention to her!" He called back.

"Dance of the Dragon!!"

The large spirals flew out of her fan again and came towards us.

"I hate this one!" I cried as I ran around trying to not get caught up in the wind tunnel.

Damn it… I can't get stuck here fighting this stupid woman. I need to find my son!!

"Sesshoumaru!!" I called as dodged around another vortex.

Sesshoumaru glanced over at me and our eyes met. In the one second he was thinking the exact same thing as I was; he nodded.

_Don't die…_ was all I could think as we both charged Kagura at the same time.

I hit the steps and pushed off flipping over her as I tried to reach further into the castle, while Sesshoumaru aimed straight for her.

I landed on the roof of the building and began running along it towards the center. I slipped and stuck my sword through the roof to keep me from falling.

"What the…" I looked up to see what I had slipped on only to realize that it was; "Blood… Lovely…"

Hoisting myself back up onto the roof I began to quickly look myself over. "Looks like she hit my arm." I murmured as I tore the sleeve off and shredded it to cover the wound. After I made sure the cut was covered I pulled my sword free and continue down the roof.

_To kill Naraku first I have to kill his heart…_ I thought as I jumped down into a small opening. _The heart is the baby…_

Quietly I reached out to feel the power of all his incarnations and Naraku himself.

"Kaemon…" I hissed as brushed up against the wave pattern that I knew was my son's. "I'm coming honey…"

_The heart…_ I thought as I felt another signature down to my left. _That first then Naraku…_

I ran off in the direction of his 'heart'.


	14. Freedom

**A/N: This is the second to last chapter in this story! Please Enjoy!**

**I will be writing a new one now. I've just finished working out the story line and so please send me a pm if you would like me to tell you when it's up finally. It shouldn't be too long from now.**

**Enjoy!! And Thank you all for reading ^^

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Blood splattered across my kimono and face as I cut through yet another corpse doll.

"You will not stop me from getting what I want!!" I screamed.

The last doll fell and I continued forward. I knew there were two left here to protect the "baby", Kanna with her mirror of reflection and Hakudoshi the "body" of the baby.

'I won't let you win this time.' She thought as raced toward the small hut the hid the infant and his protectors. I turned my sword out and swung upward, like I had been practicing the month earlier, and flames shot forward and engulfed the hut.

"If you don't come out you can burn to death for all I care then I'll come in and make sure you're dead."

The young boy Hakudoshi walked out with his horse laughing. "You think a little fire will hurt us? My horse is made of fire!"

I smirked. "I know…" I rushed him, waiting for him and his horse to dodge me turned just a fraction and sunk my katana deep into the horse's flank.

"How did you--"

"Your horse is made of fire. It controls and uses it as its weapon. It also uses it for its flight and running speed. I also control fire. I can sense where his trail goes and where it will end. Your horse is useless against me." With that I slid my sword down and out, rending the horse of its right leg.

"Forgive me…" I murmured as I lifted my sword and sliced down through his neck severing its head from its body. I turned to the startled boy. "You're next unless you hand over the infant to me."

Hakudoshi fumed in anger. "How dare you!!" He shouted as he swung at me.

I lifted my sword and blocked him forcing more of my energy into the sword. "Be careful Hakudoshi. Your weapon may be strong but my powers are stronger, I'll melt that staff of yours and then where will you be left?"

He sneered and jumped back as Kanna walked out holding the infant. She handed him the baby and held out her mirror.

"Kanna I would rather not kill you…"

"Come and get us you hag!" Hakudoshi called from behind Kanna.

'Forgive me…' I charged them in a spray of blood and fire.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Momma?" A voice called.

"I'm hear honey…" I answered as I stepped into the clearing. Blood dripped off of my clothing from the sleeves and the bottom of the kimono; my face was nearly covered in it. "Don't look at mommy sweetie, she doesn't look very pretty."

I turned my attention to the man that had stolen my son. "I don't have to kill you. In fact I would rather not kill any more people. Most of your incarnations didn't deserve death either." I blinked as blood dripped down from my hair and over my eyelashes.

Naraku laughed as he reached for my son.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Naraku."

He stopped. "And why not?"

I grinned, an evil sinister grin. "I have your heart."

"What…?"

I flung the small body out before me, still within my range, but where he could see.

"I have your heart…"

The infant was unconscious, slow bleeding came from his arm, but other than that there was no damage.

"You give me my son and never come after us again and I'll leave you alive."

Naraku sneered viscously and charged towards me and his heart.

"Now Sesshoumaru!!" I yelled as I drove and grabbed the infant, rolling off to the side.

Sesshoumaru's Toukijin unleashed a lethal amount of demonic energy straight towards the unsuspecting Naraku.

'Even with his quick reaction time he'll still receive large damage.' I thought as I moved the infant away from me; I would not let him try to control me.

Just as I suspected, Naraku dodged the deadly blow but still lost his arm.

I walked over to the man as he righted himself.

"I'm going to make you suffer…" I hissed at him as I charged my sword with heat and sliced through his left leg.

"I'm going to let you watch as I destroy your dream. Just as you nearly destroyed mine…"

Naraku's right arm shot out for my neck but I was faster, his hand flew off in the other direction.

"Now watch…" I murmured as I walked back to his heart. "This is the end…"

"Sesshoumaru…" I murmured as I looked over at my husband. "Take Kaemon away from here… I don't want him to see this…"

I watched as Sesshoumaru took Kaemon and quickly left then grabbed the limp body of the infant and threw it high into the air. 'I'm sorry…' I thought as it began to fall back down. 'If only your heart wasn't so corrupt…'

I sliced through the body several times until it exploded into a rain of blood and body parts.

"Now…" I turned back to Naraku, "it's your turn…"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The fire before me crackled and hissed as I tossed my clothing onto it.

"I would rather walk around naked then continue wearing that…" I murmured to myself as I stepped into the lake beside me and stayed in the water probably far longer than needed.

I sat on a rock beside the lake as I pulled my knees to my chest and fought with myself with what I did.

'Did I really have to kill them…? They were children.'

_You did what you had to._

'I didn't have to kill them.'

_Yes you did. They were between you and your son. You did what you had to._

'No… No I shouldn't have killed them… And so… so…'

_Brutally…?_

I stopped. "Oh god… What have I done…?"

"You saved your son from a killer."

My head shot up and I turned to the voice; it was Sesshoumaru.

"But they were children…" I murmured as I felt tears threaten to slide down my cheeks.

"They were also Naraku's incarnations. They had no free thought and would only die once you killed Naraku. You gave them freedom."

I shook my head and covered my face with my hands. "I didn't have to do it like I did…"

"You did what you did at the time to save our son. Don't question what you did or why you did it, you're going to tear yourself apart. Your son needs you whole and healthy. Now…" he pulled out a long cloak with sleeves. "Put some clothes on before you freeze."

I smiled weakly. I did what I did to save my son, I couldn't argue with Sesshoumaru about that.

"I have one request…" I murmured as I slid into the cloak and tied it closed.

"And what's that…?"

I gazed up at the man I was truly, deeply in love with. "I want Rin and Kaemon to meet someone…"


	15. An End for a Beginning

**A/N: Here is the final installment of For Better or for Worse! I hope you have enjoyed the story. If you would like an update on when my newest fanfiction will be written tell me and I will message you when it has been published on here (Unless you already have me on alert, then you'll find out anyway.)**

**Thank you for staying with me and bearing with the long breaks inbetween**

**Enjoy

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"Is this the place…?" Sesshoumaru asked as we slowly headed out of the forest.

"Mmhmm…" I answered as I set Kaemon down to walk. "I'm sure this is it…"

The small hut that stood alone at the edge of the forest was the exact same one I had been in before with the elderly couple.

The woman came out onto the porch and squinted into the sunlight. "Who's there?"

"It's just a blessed traveler and her family." I answered back. "I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me."

I turned to Rin and nodded. She smiled brightly, grabbed Kaemon's hand and ran off towards the hut.

"Grandma!!!" They cried together.

Tears filled the old woman's eyes and she knelt down to them. "Hello children."

Her husband came out onto the porch and saw the two children hugging his wife.

"I know you know who I am." I said as I walked up to the house. "I know you know that my parents were your children and that I am Kaori your granddaughter. I heard you two say it as I left. I had to bring them here to meet you."

He smiled as a single tear slid down his cheek as he held out his hands to grasp one of mine in both of his. "Thank you…"

"Oh…" The woman called as she stood. "Where are my manners? Come inside. Sit down and have some lunch with us. I'm sure we can add a bit more to the stew for our guests."

"YAY!!!!" Rin and Kaemon called as they ran into the house with their new found great grandmother.

I smiled and reached my hand out for Sesshoumaru's.

He grasped mine tightly and stood outside for a moment.

"Is this what you wanted…?" He asked as he brushed his nose against my hair.

I smiled more and leaned into him, sliding his other hand down to my stomach. "This is more than I could ever dream of."

He looked down at me. "Another…?"

I nodded. "Are you ready to be a father of three?"

He smiled and kissed me lovingly. "I'm ready if you're ready."

"Good…" I kissed him again.

"Mommy, Daddy!!!" Kaemon called as he ran back out. "Come on! They're waiting!!"

I laughed. "We're coming, we're coming."

He ran back inside as I turned to Sesshoumaru. "Are you okay with this? With being family to humans?"

"I'm ready for anything as long as it's with you." He answered and he brushed his fingers over my cheek.

I smiled. "Okay… Let's go." I replied as I lead the way into the house and towards our new future.


End file.
